Isolation of a lipolytic factor (toxohormone-L) from ascites fluid of patients with hepatoma and its effect on feeding behavior.

The ascites fluids from patients with hepatoma or ovarian tumor and the pleural fluid from patients with malignant lymphoma elicited fatty acid release in slices of rat adipose tissue in vitro. The lipolytic factor, named toxohormone-L, was isolated from the ascites fluid of patients with hepatoma. The isolated preparation gave a single band on both disc gel electrophoresis and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-acrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of beta-mercaptoethanol. Its molecular weight was determined to be 70,000-75,000 and 65,200 by SDS-acrylamide gel electrophoresis and analytical ultracentrifugation respectively. Injection of toxohormone-L into the lateral ventricle of rats significantly suppressed food and water intakes. There was at least a 5-hr delay between its injection and the appearance of its suppressive effect.